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Crom Hold
Crom Hold is one of the Major Holds in the Northern Continent. It bordered on the east Telgar Hold, on the southwest Nabol Hold and on the west High Reaches Hold. Telgar Weyr fights Threadfall over Crom Hold. Description : A detailed description of the Hold, established, the surrounding countryside, the economy and the other (on the basis of the The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern) Crom was one of the seven holds held by the conqueror Fax. It is perhaps the only one he came by legitimately, through his marriage to Gemma, Lady of Crom, daughter of the old Lord Holder. She died giving birth to Jaxom, named Lord Holder of Ruatha by his father shortly before his death. Lord Nessel, the man who took the Hold after Fax was killed, had much to do to repair Crom's impoverished condition. Like High Reaches and Ruatha in Fax's day, Crom had a reputation for being a stronghold for bullyboys and mercenaries. The principal Hold lies near a tumbling river that threads its way southwest along the Western Mountain Range. The fields that feed the Hold lie to the south. The window embrasures and door lintels are without ornamental carving, as if the Lord Holder who commissioned them did not wish to take advantage of the Minecrafthold's masons so nearby. Some say the Hold has changed little under Nessel's hand. He does coerce his holders to buy blackstone to heat their houses; the holders consider Crom coal an unnecessary expense when the southern part of the Hold provides so much pine and softwood, which burns cleaner and is free for the chopping. There is not enough grass to sustain many herdbeasts in the north mountain reaches. Crom raises mostly ovines for meat and trades with neighboring Telgar for river grains and bovines. With the onset of the cold season, numerous animals are slaughtered, and the remaining beasts are brought into sheltered pens to weather out the snows. The Lady Holder and her steward see to the salting and preservation of hides, fleece, and meat. Crom raises the hardier of the medicinal and cooking herbs, such as sage, all the mints, rue against fleas, cinquefoil for bowel problems, and mugwort for gout. Crom is beholden to Telgar Weyr, with which it has little direct contact, especially during the hard winters. They are divided by a spur of the Central Mountain Range beyond the Mastersmithhall. Weyrleader R'mart keeps in contact mainly through the watchdragon posted on the fireheights. Minor Holds and Crafthalls * Aleesa's Wherhold * Camp Natalon * Campbell's Field Hold — beholden to Crom Hold in Second Interval; beholden to Telgar Hold by Ninth Pass. * Crom Mine 23 * Firestone Mine * Greenfields Hold — beholden to Crom Hold in Second Interval; beholden to Telgar Hold by Ninth Pass. * Keogh Hold — beholden to Crom Hold in Second Interval, and possibly as late as Sixth Pass; beholden to High Reaches Hold by Ninth Pass. * Three Rivers Hold Crom Hold is also home to the Minecrafthall, and at least one minor hold whose name is not known. History First Pass / First Interval Crom Hold did not exist in these times. First Interval / Second Pass Crom was founded in the last year of the First Interval as a minehold. Before this point in time, the area was unsettled, and the base location of mining operations on Pern was at Telgar Hold, but when the easily accessible ores began to run dry, it was decided to establish a new hold that was closer to another cluster of ores. This hold was ultimately dubbed «Crom», after the initials of the co-founders: Chester, Ricard, Otty & Minerva, but did not immediately gain the title of independent holding. * Dynast: Chester, Ricard, Otty & Minerva. * Other holders: Second Interval / Third Pass Late Second Interval, Crom had become a Major Holding, was the home of the Minecrafthall, and even played host to the All-Weyr games in AL 492. Crom was among the areas affected by the Plague that swept across Pern in the late Second Interval. Lord Fenner was one of the victims of the Plague, and attempted to pass his title to his daughter Nerra, only for his son Fenril to claim the title of Lord Holder instead. While Nerra attempted to tend the sick of Crom, Fenril barricaded the Hold Proper out of fear, and continued to do so even after the Plague had been eradicated. Eventually, Nerra got her rightful position with the aid of Xhinna and Tazith, who ferried her and her supporters over the walls of the Hold Proper, allowing Nerra to imprison her brother. Following this, a good deal of the surviving inhabitants of Crom were secretly taken to the Western Isle as Candidates for Hatchings. * Dynast: Lord Fenner, Lord Fenril, Lady Nerra. * Other holders: Miner Natalon and also residents Camp Natalon; Woodsmith Cannahir; also Alimma, Danirry, Cliova, Mirressa, Pinnor, Tormic. Sixth Pass * Dynast: Not named. * Other holders: Eighth Interval / Ninth Pass In the late Eighth Interval, Crom Hold was invaded by Lord Fax of High Reaches Hold — the first of his many conquests — who claimed lordship of the region through virtue of his marriage to Gemma; a (relation). The former Lady Holder Relna promptly fled with two of her children to Ruatha Hold. Despite this, Fax allowed a relative of the deposed — and likely deceased — Lord Lesselden to act as his steward; Nessel, who eventually became Lord Holder when Fax was slain at Ruatha Hold by then-wingleader F'lar. It's not currently known whether Nessel is still alive and ruling Crom as of The Skies of Pern, or whether lordship has passed to one of his sons — such as Kern, who Jaxom once considered would be Nessel's successor. * Dynast: Lord Lesselden and Lady Relna, Lord Fax and Lady Gemma, Lord Nessel. * Other holders: Kern. Additional Information * Crom Bloodline on pern.nl ru:Кром Холд Category:Major Hold Category:Northern Continent places Category:Crom Hold